Losing Prince is to lose the person behind some of my most memorable moments while I was in my very early 20s. I remember hearing “Head” for the first time on the first day of my college life on the east coast. Or how many times we played Darling Nikki on the record player in a friends dorm room at Boston Univ. Or how “Erotic City” was the game changer at MIT’s Chocolate City parties back then

Prince and many others provided the sound track at important touch points throughout my life. Artists like Prince were able to produce more art because they were paid for their efforts. It’s something we need to remember in the “everything should be free on the internet era”. Try to imagine your life without the work of people like Prince and those in who produce other art forms. I am betting it would not be nearly as rich.

If you aren’t doing so already.Use Prince’s memory to motivate you in actually materially supporting music and other art as opposed to acquiring them for free.

How priceless is the emotional joy Prince and others have brought people ? Is it worth 1, 2 maybe three Apple’s, a couple Tesla Incs, a few Googles ? Maybe more ?

For those of us in communities of color maybe it’s time we lead by example and show the world how we commit to enabling our incredible artists with material support .I’d rather that then a gazillion more average or even exceptional “Software language or Framework du jour” coders… Wouldn’t you ?